


Persona: HL

by Silent_Witness



Category: Persona Series, RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-19 18:09:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9453632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silent_Witness/pseuds/Silent_Witness
Summary: Ruby Rose. A cheerful, energetic, soon-to-be high school freshman. In other words, a perfectly ordinary fifteen-year-old girl. Ordinary, until she receives a late-night call from a mysterious individual known only as "Joker." From there, she is thrust into the dark, twisted world of Remnant, and a mysterious power awakens within her... a power known as "Persona."





	1. 4/4/2013

**Thursday, April 4th, 2013** **  
** **Evening**

A horn blared across the silent waters. An engine hummed, and ripples spread across the ocean’s surface as a small boat cut through the waves. Ahead of the boat, along the water’s edge, a bright city gleamed in the light of the setting sun.

Before long, the boat slowed to a stop, bobbing alongside a concrete dock that jutted out into the water. There was a splash as an anchor was dropped into the sea next to the dock, and a old man crossed the deck. He was mostly bald, with what little hair he had left colored a light gray. He grabbed a long length of metal, and slid it into a gap in the railing around the deck, bridging the gap between the dock and the boat.

An’ here we are,” the man said. “Welcome ta Vale.” The man stepped aside, allowing a girl to pass. She was fairly young, with dark hair, a long red cloak, and bright, silver eyes.

“Thank you,” she said, adjusting her massive backpack as she stepped onto the gangplank.

The man leaned against the railing at the edge of the deck. “Ya got a lift, kid?” he asked. “It’ll be dark soon. An’ Vale ain't exactly the safest place at night.”

The girl in the red cloak stopped for a moment, and looked back at the man. “I'll be fine,” she replied, adjusting her bag again. “My big sister’s coming to pick me up.”

“Alright then. You take care of yourself.” The man turned, and headed toward the stern of his ferry. The girl turned away, and began to walk toward a building near the water’s edge. As she walked, the girl in the red cloak pulled a scroll from her pocket and opened it slightly, to check the time.

6:56 PM.

The girl hadn't intended to come in this late. But by the time her sister had called, she and her father were in the middle of dinner. Her father wanted to wait until morning before sending the girl to the city, but her sister convinced him that she'd be able to take care of her. So, after hastily gathering her belongings for the trip, the girl’s father brought her down to the port, bought her a ferry ticket, and saw her off. That had been just under an hour ago.

The girl in the red cloak entered a large room filled with benches. Mounted on the walls were a number of electronic signs listing arrivals and departures- another ship from Vacuo would arrive in a few minutes, and two more were departing for Atlas.

The girl looked around, hoping to spot a familiar cascade of blonde hair… but the terminal was completely empty. With a frown, she pulled out her scroll and began to type a message.

_ I'm at the port. _ she typed.  _ Where ar _

The girl’s fingers stopped when the roar of a very familiar-sounding engine from outside the building met her ears. A small smile forming on her lips, the girl rushed across the terminal and threw open the door at the entrance.

At the curb just a few feet away from the door, a bright yellow motorcycle sat with its engine idling. And mounted atop the bike was a person wearing a tan top, black short shorts, and a bright yellow motorcycle helmet. The rider’s face was obscured by the opaque visor of their helmet, but the amount of exposed skin and their rather…  _ ample _ chest made it abundantly clear the rider was a woman. And even with her face obscured, the girl in the red cloak could recognize the blonde hair trailing down the rider’s back in a heartbeat.

The girl in the red cloak cried out, “ _ Yang! _ ”

The blonde pulled off her helmet and beamed at the sight of the younger girl. “ _ Ruby! _ ”

Ruby launched herself at her sister, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace. The motorcycle wobbled precariously as Yang struggled to keep it upright under the sudden weight shift. “Whoa, whoa, okay, careful,” Yang said as she hugged her sister. “I just got this thing repainted.”

Ruby released her sister and stepped back, before she crossed her arms and pouted at her sister. “You really couldn’t wait ‘til morning to pick me up? I barely had any time to pack my stuff!”

Yang scratched her head and laughed nervously. “Hehehe… sorry. But, I just got so excited when I got the good news, and I wanted to see you again right away and… you know.” She then quickly shook her head. “But that’s not important. What  _ is _ important is that you’re here now.” She scooted forward on her bike. “So hop on.”

Ruby did as Yang asked, wrapping her arms tightly around her sister’s waist. Once she was secure, Yang put her helmet back on and gunned the engine, sending her bike racing down the streets of Vale.

As the motorcycle roared down the street, Ruby called, “By the way, how’s your clutch been?”

“Been working like a dream since  _ you  _ got your hands on it!” Yang called back. “Seriously, I should call you over when Bee has problems more often! You're way better at fixing it than the guys at the auto repair place here! Cheaper, too!”

Ruby jabbed her big sister’s side with her thumb. “I hope that’s not the  _ only  _ reason you called me over!”

Yang’s only reply was a laugh as she weaved through traffic, heading deeper into the city.

 

**Night**

Tires squealed, and Yang’s motorcycle skidded to a stop alongside the curb. “And here we are,” Yang said.

Ruby hopped off the bike and looked up at the building before her- it was a simple, unassuming structure, five stories tall, and made of faded red brick. A black sign posted next to the dark wooden front doors read: “Miles Luna Memorial High School Dormitory Building B.” She recognized the building easily enough- after all, she and her dad had helped Yang move in when she began attending just two years prior. Ruby looked back at her sister. “So, it’s just you right now?”

Yang beamed. “Yep! We’ve got the whole place to ourselves! …‘til Sunday, anyway.” She bounded up the steps to the entrance. “C’mon, let’s get inside.”

Ruby followed after her sister as the blonde unlocked the door and stepped inside. Inside, Ruby looked around. Even though she’d seen it several times before, she couldn’t help but marvel- the size of the ground floor alone easily rivaled their whole house back on Patch.

Immediately, Yang threw an arm around Ruby’s shoulder and pulled her close. “I know you’ve seen everything already, but just in case you forgot, here’s the grand tour.” She pointed to a space nearby with a couch and a few armchairs sitting in front of a TV. “This is the lounge,” Yang said. She then pointed to the far end of the room. “Kitchen’s in the back. My room’s up on the second floor. And… that’s it, really.” Then, Yang pushed Ruby towards the couch and the TV. “Now come on. I wanna see if I can still whip your butt with Ragna like I could back home.”

Ruby raised an eyebrow. “We’re not going up to your room?”

“No way! We’re gonna camp out down here.” Yang scratched her head. “Besides, the lounge TV’s bigger than the one Dad bought me.”

At that moment, the front door’s doorknob began rattling, as though somebody were trying to open the door.

Ruby looked to the entrance, and said, “I thought you said nobody was coming until Sunday.”

Before Yang answered, the door opened with a click, and an older, bespectacled woman with vibrant green eyes entered the building. She was blonde, with hair pulled back in a tight bun save for a braided lock that hung next to the right side of her face- she wore a black skirt, a white long-sleeved top, and a short cloak that was black on the outside, and a rich, deep purple on the inside. Ruby didn’t know this woman, but just from looking at her, she could tell that the woman was not someone to be trifled with- a suspicion that was confirmed when Yang involuntarily straightened up next to her, still as a statue.

The strange woman approached the two. “Ms. Xiao Long.” she said curtly. The woman’s eyes then turned to Ruby. “And am I correct in assuming that this is the guest who will be staying with you?”

“Uh… yeah. I-I mean- yes, Ms. Goodwitch,” Yang stammered.

For a moment, Ruby stood frozen, uncertain of how to respond to the intimidating woman standing before her. “U-Um, hi,” she said nervously. “I, uh… I’m Ruby.”

“I know exactly who you are, Ms. Rose.” The woman pushed up her spectacles, her stern expression never faltering for even a moment. “My name is Glynda Goodwitch. I'm the vice-principal and an instructor for MLM High. And one of my many responsibilities is overseeing the campus dorms during the break.”

A tense silence hung in the air for several moments. Ruby stood fidgeting under the older woman’s stern gaze, until Yang finally asked, “So… what’s up, Ms. Goodwitch? I thought Building B’s weekly inspection was on Tuesdays.”

“I haven’t changed my schedule, Ms. Xiao Long. I came to give  _ this _ to your guest.” Ms. Goodwitch then pulled out a large sheaf of papers and handed it to Ruby. The younger girl glanced at the topmost paper, which read,  _ Miles Luna Memorial High School On-Campus Community Guidelines _ .

“You may only be a temporary guest, Ms. Rose,” Ms. Goodwitch began, “but regardless, I expect you to follow the rules of MLM’s dorms to the letter.” The older woman then turned her attention to Yang. “ And as for you, Ms. Xiao Long, I do hope I don't need to remind you that  _ you _ will suffer the consequences of any misbehavior on your guest’s behalf. Am I understood?”

Ruby involuntarily straightened up- Yang did the same alongside her, and both simultaneously yelped, “Yes ma’am!”

“Excellent. I’ll be taking my leave, then.” She turned to the door, but stopped and glanced back at Ruby. “Oh, and Ms. Rose? I hope you enjoy your time here in our facilities.”

Once the older woman had left the building, Yang let out a long sigh of relief. “Man. School year hasn’t even started yet and Goodwitch’s already getting scary.”

Ruby looked down at the stack of papers in her hands- it was at least a half-inch thick. “…Do I really have to read all this?”

To Ruby’s surprise, Yang grabbed the stack and tossed it over her shoulder. “Don’t worry about all that,” she replied. “As long as we keep the lounge clean and don’t make too much noise, Ms. Goodwitch doesn’t really care what goes on here. At least, not until the school year starts. But you’ll be gone by then, so don’t worry about it.”

Yang rested a hand on her chin, and slowly turned toward the lounge again. “Now, before we were interrupted, we were in the middle of something. What was it…?” She snapped her fingers. “Oh yeah! Me and my good buddy Ragna were just about to kick your butt!”

In the blink of an eye, Ruby was seated at the couch in front of the lounge’s TV. “You won’t beat me without a fight!” she boasted. “I’ve been practicing. And I’m way better with Tager than I used to be.”

Yang hopped onto the couch as well, handing Ruby a controller. “Let’s see you prove it, then.”

The two of them huddled around the TV playing video games until well after midnight.

 

**???**

A faint buzzing awoke Ruby from her slumber. She opened her eyes- the lounge was pitch-black, save for a faint, periodic flash on the ceiling. She looked up, and quickly realized the buzzing- and the light- were coming from her scroll.

Blinking to clear the blurriness from her eyes, she muttered, “This better not be a sales call…” as she grabbed her scroll, unplugged it from its charger, and opened it slightly to check the notification bar.

There was no number or location listed in the caller ID. Only a name.

Joker.

Grumbling, Ruby opened her scroll completely and said into it blearily, “ _ …hello? _ ”

There was no reply on the other end.

Her sleepiness dissipating, Ruby drew herself up and repeated, a little louder, “Hello?”

But again, there was no reply. Of any kind. Not even the sound of breathing. For several long seconds, there was merely a long, unbroken silence. Ruby figured it was just some kind of prank call, and reached to close her scroll…

But once the call timer had reached eleven seconds, a raspy voice began to speak from the other end of the line. The voice said slowly, “ _ School… gate. _ ”

And then, the words “Call Ended” flashed on the screen, before the scroll returned to its home screen.

For several moments, all Ruby could do was stare at her scroll in a confused silence. Then, she looked to her right.

Yang was sprawled in a tangle of blankets on the floor next to her, snoring loudly, completely oblivious to the events that had just transpired. Trying to rouse her at this hour would be essentially impossible.

Ruby looked back to her scroll, and stared at it for a few moments, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Then, she snapped her scroll shut with a huff, saying, “I’ll deal with this in the morning.” She laid herself down, and after a few minutes, she too was fast asleep.


	2. 4/5/2013

**Friday, April 5th, 2013** **  
** **Morning**

Normally, if there wasn’t a need to wake up early, then Yang would readily sleep until past noon. But, having her younger sister stop by for a visit wasn’t exactly an everyday occurrence, so the blonde had roused herself from her slumber early to cook a hearty breakfast for the both of them. Unfortunately, neither sister was particularly blessed when it came to the culinary arts, but of the two, few could deny that Yang was the worst. Their father endured out of politeness, as did their uncle during his occasional visits, but everyone else had always mysteriously “already eaten” whenever the words “Yang” and “cooking” happened to be close to each other in the same sentence.

After several moments spent desperately attempting to save a set of burning bacon strips, Yang dropped a plate in front of Ruby. On it were several charred-black sausages, black bacon strips, and a pair of black circles that Yang would insist had been eggs at _some_ point. “Here you go!” Yang said cheerfully. “Dig in.”

Yang set her own plate down and began ravenously devouring her breakfast. But Ruby sat still, staring at her plate but not really _seeing_ it. All her brainpower was focused entirely on making sense of the strange call she’d gotten the night before. No one on her contact list was labeled “Joker,” and if the call had come from an unfamiliar source, her scroll _should_ have displayed a number rather than a name. Stranger still, when Ruby checked her scroll’s call history after waking up, Joker’s call wasn’t listed, as if it had never been made. Sure, there were ways to cover up that kind of thing, but those methods seemed a little too elaborate for a simple prank call.

So what else could it have been? Some sort of identity theft scam, or viral marketing campaign? In either case, it didn’t seem particularly effective.

For a moment, Ruby glanced up at her elder sister. It was very unlikely that she would know anything, but still… it couldn’t hurt to ask, could it?

“Yang?”

Yang stopped eating. “What's up, Rubes?”

“Do you…” Ruby looked up at her sister. “…Do you know anyone who calls themselves ‘ _Joker?_ ’”

Yang’s brow furrowed for a moment. “No. Why?”

“Well, last night, I got a call from someone. Someone named Joker. I didn’t recognize the name, so I didn’t answer.” A lie, but considering how strange the call had been, and knowing her sister, it was probably better that Yang didn’t know the details. “There’s no one on my contact list called Joker, so I thought maybe _you’d_ know.”

Yang touched her chin and sat in silence for several moments, before narrowing her eyes. “Hold on. I think I know what this is.”

Ruby blinked in surprise and sat up- she hadn’t actually expected her sister to know anything. “Y-You do? What is it?”

“You remember how I went on that tour of Beacon U a couple months ago, right? While I was there, I heard some students talking. They said that people all around Vale have been getting calls from some unlisted number. Most people don’t hear anything on the other end of the line if they answer… but some people _do_. Those people hear a voice, telling them to go to a certain place in the city. And when they go…”

Ruby found herself leaning over the table toward her sister, sitting on the edge of her seat, holding her breath. “…What happens then?” she asked breathlessly.

“…theeey… **_GETCHA!_ ** ” Yang suddenly launched herself over the table and tackled Ruby to the floor. Ruby shuddered, and involuntary giggles spilled from her throat as she felt Yang’s fingers dance over her sides.

“ _Yang, n-no- ppffhahahaha! Not my- my sides! They're- ahahahaha! They're my- my- my weak point!_ ” But Ruby’s pleas fell on deaf ears as her elder sister tickled her without mercy. The laughter of the two girls echoed through the lounge, until Yang finally relented and let her younger sister catch her breath.

Ruby sat up, taking several deep breaths. “Haheheheh… heh… h-hold on. Were you messing with me just now?”

Yang held out her hand, pulling Ruby to her feet. “No, it’s true. I really did hear people talking about it up at Beacon.” Yang returned to her seat. “But c’mon, It’s just a dumb rumor. Like that Midnight Channel thing when we were in middle school.”

The Midnight Channel. That was a name Ruby hadn’t heard in years. “If you look into a turned-off TV at exactly midnight on a rainy night, you’ll see the face of your soulmate reflected in the screen,” or so the urban legend goes. It had been popular on Patch a few years prior, and Ruby and Yang had been just two of many people who gave it a try. But one rainy night, when the appointed time came about, the only thing awaiting the sisters were their own disappointed reflections.

So Ruby could understand why Yang would be skeptical. She wished she could say the same thing about herself. “Are you… y’know, sure about that?”

“Ruby, this is Vale we’re talking about. Boring Capital of the world. Nothing crazy _ever_ happens here. Trust me- I know.” Yang began eating her breakfast again. “Besides, even if it were real, you didn’t answer the call. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

For a moment, Ruby considered confessing, before she suppressed the thought. “Y-Yeah. Sure.”

“By the way…” Yang began, and pointed to Ruby’s plate. “You gonna eat that breakfast I’ve been slaving over all morning or what?”

Ruby looked down apprehensively at the plate set before her. The “food” there emanated a scent of ash, blackened to a shade no food fit for human consumption should ever be. So, it was with trembling hands and the greatest of apprehension that speared a sausage with her fork, brought it up to her mouth, and took a bite.

…It tasted awful.

 

**Afternoon**

 Ruby belched.

“ _Ruby_.” Yang gave her sister a hard look.

“Sorry.” Ruby let out an embarrassed laugh. “But that was really good. And I’ve been starving ever since breakfast. But anyway…” Ruby leaned rested her arms on the counter in front of her. “What do you do for fun around here?”

“Well, Vale’s got a lot more to offer than the old Game Panic back home, that’s for sure.” After breakfast, Yang took Ruby on a tour of Vale. This week would be the first time she’d ever spend so much time in the city- she and her father had visited in the past, though only briefly, and whenever Yang had time off from school in the past, she always came back to Patch. So, being the wonderful older sister that she was, Yang took it upon herself to show her younger sister all the ins and outs of the capital city.

At the moment, the two were seated at the counter of a diner called Rocket Redd’s. It was a local place Ruby had never heard of, but Yang assured her that they had the best burgers in the city, possibly even all of Vale. So the two settled in for lunch, surrounded by the scent of greasy fries and the sound of a jukebox playing music almost as old as their dad.

“Like what?” Ruby asked, absentmindedly tracing her finger across her empty plate. “I heard there’s a mall here. Is it better than the shopping district at home?”

“Which one? There’s three of them,” Yang replied. “But just for the record, _all three_ are better.” She continued, in-between taking bites out of her hamburger, “There’s all kinds of other places, too- there’s the gym, a couple movie theaters, _loads_ of stores… Oh, and there’s a club down by the docks I hit up sometimes.”

Ruby looked to her sister. “A club? I thought Dad told you not to go to places like that.”

“Dhhf dnn nnn fffm ghhhm, mmm?” Yang replied through a mouthful of burger.

“…what?”

Yang swallowed. “Mmmgh, sorry. I said, ‘What Dad doesn’t know isn’t gonna hurt him, right?’ Besides, I know how to handle myself. Most people know better than to try and get handsy with me by now. And the ones that _don’t_ … learn.” Yang cracked her knuckles for emphasis as a confident smirk settled on her face. “ _The hard way._ ”

That much was true- Yang certainly did know how to take care of herself. And she knew how to take care of Ruby, too. She’d been looking out for Ruby ever since…

No, she shouldn’t be thinking about something like that at a time like this.

But with that thought came a realization. Every moment since breakfast had been spent trying to keep her mind from wandering, to not think about that strange call. But no longer. Ruby clenched her fist- the sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could get rid of the nagging feeling in her stomach and get back to enjoying her vacation with Yang. So she asked, “Hey, Yang?”

“What’s up?”

“Can we go see something?”

“Sure. Where d’you wanna go?”

“I… I want to go see the school.”

“The school?” Yang raised an eyebrow. “What, you mean MLM?”

“Yeah.” In truth, Ruby couldn’t be sure if the voice was referring to MLM at all. The city of Vale was home to no less than thirty schools, from elementary to college level- MLM was just one of six high schools within the city limits. But she didn’t have time to check every school in Vale- all she could do was take a gamble and hope she was right.

Yang blinked in confusion several times. “Uh… s-sure. It’s just a couple blocks away. If you don’t mind walking…”

“Great!” Ruby stood up. “Let’s get going.”

But Yang reached out and grabbed Ruby’s arm. “C’mon Ruby, sit down. The school’s not goin’ anywhere. And I wanna finish my burger in peace.”

After what felt like an eternity to Ruby, she and Yang set out. Sure enough, after just a few blocks of walking, the two came to a stop in front of a black barred gate. Beyond lay Miles Luna Memorial High School. Three stories tall, square-shaped buildings, white tiled exterior… MLM looked like any other high school you might see in Vale.

“Here we are,” Yang said. “There’s not much to see. I mean, the whole campus is locked up ‘til school starts.”

Ruby didn’t answer, and simply regarded the school in silence, waiting for… _waiting for…_ what _was_ she waiting for?

Before she could answer that question, Ruby felt Yang drape an arm across her shoulders. “…I get how you feel, Ruby.”

“Huh?”

“I wanted you to go here, too. But, you know Dad can’t afford to send both of us.”Yang patted her sister’s shoulder. “Besides, Signal isn’t that bad.”

Ruby looked up at her sister. “How would you know? You’ve never been to Signal.”

Yang opened her mouth to respond… but after a moment she closed it again, sheepishly admitting, “…Okay, you got me there.” She then released Ruby and circled around to her front. “So, is there anywhere else you wanted to check out?”

The younger sister shook her head. “No, I’m good. What’s our next stop?”

“Uh… this might sound kinda silly, but there’s a really nice park up on the hill near Beacon. You can see all the way to Patch from there if the weather’s good…” Yang began walking back to her bike as she trailed off, with Ruby following at her heels.

Why had she come here?

In all honesty, Ruby wasn’t entirely sure what she expected would happen. Another call from Joker, perhaps? Or maybe, some shadowy figure would materialize and drag her away, never to be seen again? But of course, that was all just wishful thinking. Things like that only ever happened in movies, or in scary stories you read on the CC-Net.

In the end, it really _was_ just a dumb rumor. Yang was right. She was always right about this kind of thing.

 

**Evening**

Ruby sat on the couch in the dorm lounge, eyes fixed on the nearby staircase, swinging her legs impatiently. She and Yang returned to the dorm at sunset- as her sister went upstairs to change her clothes, Ruby set everything up for another late night of gaming. But Yang seemed to be taking an unusually long time to get ready. Ruby even sent her elder sister a text message, which had gone unanswered.

At long last, she heard a series of thumps as Yang made her way down the steps. “There you are,” she called. “What-” Ruby stopped once she laid eyes on her sister. Boots, jacket, motorcycle helmet in hand… her attire made it clear her older sister was ready for anything _but_ a relaxing night in.

Yang stopped at the foot of the stairs. “Ruby, I know I promised to stay in, but something came up and I gotta go.”

“‘Go?’ Go _where?_ ”

“Just something I need to look into.”

“Let me go with you,” Ruby said, standing up.

“ _No,_ ” Yang replied, perhaps a little more forcefully than she intended. “No,” she repeated, in a softer tone. “It’s a… a personal thing. You know?”

Ruby _did_ know. And she also knew better than to stand in Yang’s way whenever her “personal business” was involved. She sat back down on the couch, letting out a defeated sigh.

Yang gave her a sympathetic frown. “I’m really sorry, Ruby. Just… kick back here, okay? I won’t be gone long.” Then she headed to the door. As she passed by, Ruby heard her sister mutter, “Probably just another false alarm anyway.”

The front door swung open and Yang stepped out. After a few moments, Bumblebee’s engine roared to life, before it was quickly swallowed by the background noise of the city.

For several moments, Ruby sat silently, staring at the front door, the music of a character select screen as her only company.

That is, until her scroll buzzed next to her on the couch.

Ruby’s heart skipped a beat. Ever since she visited the school, she hadn’t thought about Joker’s call at all. And her scroll had stayed mercifully silent until that moment. She waited, but nothing else happened. So, she picked up her scroll, and opened it just enough to expose the notification bar.

Upon reading the new notice, she breathed a sigh of relief: _Dad_.

Ruby opened her scroll fully and read her dad’s message: **_How are things going?_ **

With a smile, she typed, _Things are just fine. Yang showed me around Vale earlier_.

**_Nice. I’ve always wanted to take the two of you to see the city, but I’m always so busy._ **

_It’s alright. I know you and Uncle Qr_

The keyboard beneath Ruby's fingers vanished, and her scroll went dark from an incoming call. A better look at the screen made her stomach drop.

Caller ID didn’t list a number, or location. Only a name.

Joker.

Ruby’s hands went cold, and she felt the air being sucked out of her lungs. Her scroll vibrated insistently in her hands, long after the call should have gone to voicemail, awaiting a reply. But rather than answering, she snapped her scroll shut. Her scroll went quiet…

But after a moment, her scroll began to vibrate again from another incoming call. A quick glance at the notification bar told Ruby’s brain what her gut already knew: it was Joker.

Several moments had passed, but her scroll was still vibrating. Already knowing what to expect, Ruby opened it. She was met by silence on the other end of the line. So Ruby simply waited, watching as the call timer ticked the seconds by.

And after exactly eleven seconds had passed, a raspy voice whispered, “ _School… gate…_ ”

Then, the call ended.

Her scroll returned to the text message screen. But Ruby ignored her unfinished text and switched to her recent call list. Neither of Joker’s calls were listed there. Ruby’s stomach slowly twisted itself in knots. This was no dream, and no coincidence. This “Joker,” whoever it may have been, was intentionally reaching out to her. But, why? What did they want with her?

Joker’s message echoed in her mind. _School gate_.

MLM was only a few minutes’ walk away from the dorm.

Ruby stood, grabbing her cloak and throwing it over her shoulders.

There was only one way to know for sure.

* * *

Ruby stood before the black barred gate in front of MLM. Beyond, massive square-shaped structures loomed out of the darkness. She had to admit, the plain exterior of the school certainly looked a lot more menacing at night.

She tried the gate- it didn’t budge. But then, the call had only told her to go to the front gate. There was no need to go into the school itself… right?

So, Ruby waited in front of the gate. A minute passed.

Then two.

Then five.

Ruby let out a breath she hadn't been aware she’d been holding. “It really was nothing…” she said. She turned…

…and her scroll vibrated in her pocket.

She _could_ have ignored it. She _could_ have pretended that nothing had happened, and continued back to the dorm. But, her curiosity got the better of her, and she pulled out her scroll. The notice light was flashing, indicating a new message. She opened her scroll just enough to expose the notification bar, which read:

_…Joker._

Taking a deep breath, Ruby opened her scroll completely and read the new text message:

_Call Remnant_.

Ruby furrowed her brow in confusion. ‘Call Remnant?’ What was that supposed to mean? She reread the text several times, trying to decipher its meaning, but nothing came to her. And she received no further messages. As she pondered the text, she brought up her scroll’s keypad. And she understood once she saw it.

The buttons on a scroll’s keypad had letters mapped to them. The letters mapped to those numbers could spell out words, like in those cheesy insurance commercials on TV. And “Remnant” was a seven letter word. Just long enough to be dialed as a scroll number.

So she dialed the numbers on her scroll that spelled out “REMNANT.” But as her thumb moved to the call button, she stopped. What… what was she doing? Why was she playing along with the whims of some stranger who was seemingly watching her every move?

Ruby looked around. MLM was situated at the edge of fairly large, but mostly empty plaza. There was nowhere that a person could realistically hide- if she _was_ being watched, then it certainly wasn’t from here. And at at rate, she’d already come this far, hadn’t she? What was one last step?

She pressed the button.

But rather than switching to the call screen, her scroll’s screen went entirely black. Then, a blazing golden eye opened on the screen, and there was a brilliant flash.


	3. ???

_???_

Ruby groaned, slowly opening her eyes. She found herself laying on the ground, her scroll still clutched tightly in her hand. She sat up, saying out loud, “Wh-What just-”

She fell silent at what she saw in front of her… or rather, at what she _didn’t_ see.

The black gate was gone, as was the rest of MLM High, and for that matter, the rest of the city of Vale. Ruby rose to her feet, finding herself standing in the middle of a dirt path, surrounded by a thick white fog. Black, leafless trees loomed from the mist, standing motionless at the sides of the path. The air was thick, damp, and completely still- in spite of the chill, Ruby began to sweat. The sun must have been shining somewhere overhead, as there was enough light for Ruby to see through the mist a short ways.

…wait. The sun? That couldn’t possibly be right, Ruby thought. It had been just shy of 9 PM when she arrived at MLM. She couldn’t possibly have been unconscious for that long… could she?

Ruby then remembered she was still holding her scroll. She looked down at it.

The screen was blank.

She closed and reopened the scroll, to once again be met with a blank screen. She closed and reopened the scroll, held down the power button, even pulled out the battery and put it back in, but the device remained unresponsive. She’d taken her scroll off the charger just before leaving the dorm- the battery _couldn’t_ have run out already. But she had no other explanation as to why it wasn’t working.

Her scroll had gotten her… _wherever_ she was right now, but it seemed it wasn’t going to be able to get her out.

Ruby slipped the scroll back into her pocket and looked around again, her stomach sinking as it were made of lead. But then, she shook her head- wherever she may have been, she wasn’t going to get out by standing around doing nothing.

So Ruby began walking, following the path ahead. Her surroundings reminded of the forests on her home island of Patch, where she used to play with Yang and other children. But she couldn’t possibly be back home. Setting aside the fact that Patch was an hour away by boat, the trees should have been bursting with vibrant green leaves at this time of year- but here, the trees were completely barren, their bark completely black. And the island had never experienced such thick fog- or at least, not that she could remember.

Gradually, Ruby slowed to a stop. A heavy silence settled, broken only by the sound of her own breaths. A handful of scattered trees continued to line the path, each one indistinguishable from the last, giving the impression that she hadn’t moved from where she’d awoken. Slowly, she brought her hands up to her mouth. Every moment that passed only cemented the idea that this place wasn't normal, but the urge to call out to someone, _anyone_ who might be out there, hidden in the mist, became too great to ignore. So Ruby called into the mist, with all the volume she could muster:

“ _Hello!_ ”

No answer- her voice didn’t even echo. Though she had to admit, she would’ve been _more_ worried had there actually been a reply.

So she pressed on. Every once in awhile, Ruby pulled out her scroll, but it remained just as unresponsive as when she arrived, making it impossible to gauge just how long she’d been wandering. Not that her route provided any stimulation- there were no crossroads, no signposts, no bends in the path, no landmarks of any kind whatsoever. The path just seemed to stretch on forever in an endless straight line. _At least I can’t get lost…_ Ruby thought to herself glumly. But, as long as she kept following the path, she’d have to come across _something_ , right?

And eventually, Ruby did find something. Something… _strange_ . Well, strange even for _this_ place. Spread out on the path just ahead was a large black puddle. She approached the edge and looked into it, but saw nothing reflected in the pool’s dark surface. As she looked, she could the puddle rippling slightly, as if a breeze were blowing across it, though the air was just as still as when she first arrived. “What is this stuff?” she muttered, mostly to herself, and knelt down. She stretched her hand out toward the strange liquid…

But as her hand drew close, the puddle began to shudder violently. Ruby was so surprised by the sudden movement that she cried out and stumbled back, only to lose her footing and fall on her butt. Before she could get back on her feet, she saw something slowly rising up from the center of the puddle.

It was a mask. A mask held up by a black hand. The mask was blue and expressionless, with a letter “I” carved into the forehead. The hand turned the mask back and forth, as if scanning its surroundings, before its empty gaze settled on Ruby. Then, another black arm emerged from the pool, slamming down into the earth near Ruby’s feet. Followed by a third. Soon, over a dozen black hands emerged from the black puddle, and the strangest thing Ruby had ever seen in her life emerged.

The… _creature_  that emerged from the black pool was nothing more than a tangled mass of black arms and hands, holding its mask aloft close to its center. For several long moments, the thing stared at Ruby in complete silence. Ruby’s mind told her that she needed to stand up, to run, to put as much distance between herself and this… _thing_ as she could. But she didn’t. All Ruby could do was sit and stare back at the thing, completely paralyzed.

Ruby wasn’t sure how long she and the thing sat there, staring at each other. But all of a sudden, the thing thrust out one of its hands, and with a great tearing sound, a long, gleaming sword sprouted from its palm. There were more tearing sounds, and more blades emerged from the creature’s hands. The thing gripped the blades tightly in its hands as its empty eye holes stared down at her.

Ruby’s terrified screams finally broke the silence.

In a flash, Ruby was on her feet, running back the way she came, away from the thing, her screams still piercing through the fog. She didn’t dare to look back for even a second, for fear that slowing for even a moment would give the thing a chance to catch up. The thing was completely silent, but Ruby could hear the impact of its hands against the earth as it pursued her. Terror drowned out every rational thought, overridden by a single command: _get away_. But how? Ruby tried to force down her panic to come up with a plan. There was no way to fight that thing- escape was her only option. But she couldn’t outrun the thing- as fast as she ran, she could still hear it just behind her. And there was nowhere to hide, unless she went off the path…

Any further thought was cut off when one of Ruby’s legs was yanked out from under her, and sending her sprawling to the ground. She didn’t need to look to know that one of the thing’s countless arms had grabbed her ankle. She kicked out furiously at the hand, but it’s grip didn’t loosen even slightly. Her fingertips left deep marks in the ground as she was dragged back, unable to find a handhold in the soft earth. She glanced back, and immediately regretted her action- for a brief moment, she saw the thing looming over her, her own terrified image reflected in its blades. In spite of herself, another terrified scream erupted from her throat.

But all of a sudden, Ruby stopped, and the creature let out a pained screech. She looked back- the hand gripping her ankle was… gone, and one of the thing’s arms now ending in a jagged stump. Then, a sheet of ice appeared on one of the creature’s other arms, before shattering. The severed limb fell to the ground, and evaporated in a cloud of inky black smoke. The thing whipped its mask about as it searched for its unseen attacker, only for a third arm to freeze over and shatter. The creature let out another screech before it rapidly crawled off the path, and disappeared into the surrounding mist, not giving Ruby a second glance.

Ruby wasn’t sure how long she sat on the ground, staring at the spot where the creature had disappeared. But no matter how much she strained her senses, she could neither hear nor see the massive thing, as if it had simply stopped existing once it entered the fog. But with the creature gone, Ruby suddenly became aware of a new sound that broke the stillness: footsteps in the soft earth.

Ruby tried to stand. But all at once, the young woman suddenly found herself drained of all her strength. If the newcomer had ill intentions, then there was no chance for a second escape. Before long, a figure emerged from the fog- one so unexpected, that Ruby’s mouth fell open in surprise.

“M-Ms.… Goodwitch?” Ruby stammered.

The older woman looked down at Ruby, her eyes widening ever so slightly in surprise. She then adjusted her glasses and said, “Ms. Rose. I must admit, this is quite unexpected. How did you get here?”

At that moment, a howl echoed from beyond the mist. It sounded much different from the creature that had been chasing her, but all the same, it sounded much too close for Ruby’s liking. Goodwitch glanced to its source, before turning her attention back to the younger girl. “I suppose this isn’t the best place to talk. We should leave.” Goodwitch then extended her hand toward Ruby.

But Ruby merely stared at the older woman’s hand uncertainly. “Uh…”

Ms. Goodwitch held out her hand insistently. “I saved your life. Is that not enough reason to trust me?”

Ruby supposed Ms. Goodwitch did have a point, and grabbed the older woman’s hand. Straining for a moment, Ms. Goodwitch pulled the younger girl to her feet, before reaching into her pocket to pull out… a scroll. “Stay close to me,” she commanded.

Ms. Goodwitch dialed something into her scroll. Then, as before, there was a brilliant flash, forcing Ruby to shield her eyes.

* * *

The bright light faded, replaced by a deep darkness. Ruby uncovered her eyes, taking a few moments to adjust to the dark. In front of her was a black gate- the same one at the front of MLM High. Looking around, she was met with the sight of Vale’s skyline resting beneath a star-filled sky. The sight alone was enough to cause Ruby to sink to her knees, and let out a sigh of relief.

She was safe. She was back home.

… Almost. As she took in her surroundings, two things became apparent. First, she was now on the _inside_ of the school’s front gate. And second, Ms. Goodwitch was standing next to her. As before, she held out her hand to Ruby.

This time, Ruby took the older woman’s hand without hesitation. But as soon as Ruby was on her feet, Ms. Goodwitch began leading her away from the gate, towards the school building. “Come with me, please.” The words were polite enough, but the firm grip on Ruby’s hand told her refusing wasn’t an option.

Ruby stumbled as she tried to keep her footing. “Whoa, h-hold on! Where’re we going?”

“I’m sorry to press this on you after what you’ve just experienced, but I have a few questions I need to ask you.” Ms. Goodwitch glanced back for a moment. “And, I think there’s someone who would be very interested in meeting you.”

So Ruby was half-led, half-dragged across the courtyard and into the school. Normally, Ruby would’ve been unnerved by the sight of the dark, deserted hallways, but after what she’d just seen, she was glad to experience _some_ sense of normalcy again. And in any case, an empty school was much less intimidating than the blonde woman leading her onward.

After climbing three flights of stairs and winding through a few short hallways, the two finally came to a stop in front of a metal door. But this door was different from the others- around the edges, Ruby could see light shining into the hallway. A plaque mounted on the wall next to the door read, “Principal’s Office” in white letters, visible through the gloom. Glynda simply opened the door without knocking and stepped inside, pulling Ruby in after her.

Being a well-behaved student, Ruby had never been sent to a principal’s office, so she had no idea what the interior of one looked like. So it came as a surprise to see… a simple, sparsely furnished room with white painted walls. The only real items of note were a number of filing cabinets, a few framed degrees hanging from the back wall next to a window, and a black metal desk at the center of the room. Seated behind the desk was an older man in a dark suit, a green scarf wrapped around his neck. His hair was silvered with age, and a pair of small glasses rested on his face. Leaning by the desk near his right hand was a wooden cane with a silver handle. In one hand, he held a coffee mug emblazoned with the emblem of Beacon University, and a sheaf of papers in the other.

The older man glanced up from his papers as Goodwitch entered the room. “You’re back already,” he said. The his eyes then fell on Ruby. “…and I see you’ve brought a guest.” He set his mug down and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, clasping his hands in front of him. “I do hope you have an explanation for this, Glynda.”

“I do,” she replied. “I found this girl while I was on patrol. In Remnant.”

Ruby saw the man’s face twitch for a moment, but its meaning was lost on her. “…I see.”

But Ms. Goodwitch seemingly picked up on something Ruby didn’t: “Mr. Ozpin, you don't think…”

Ozpin reached over, and absentmindedly tapped his finger on the head of his cane. “It’s difficult to say,” replied. “It’s true that not everyone who enters Remnant will have the capacity. But, I have a feeling that you finding her there was no accident.”

Ruby looked back and forth between the two adults, confusion mounting. “Uh…” she began, “I-Is anyone gonna explain what’s going on here?”

The two looked to Ruby for a moment. Then Mr. Ozpin said. “Of course. My apologies.” He rested a hand on his chest. “My name is Ozpin. I’m the headmaster of MLM.” He then adjusted his glasses, a small smile appearing on his face. “…well, technically, I’m simply the principal. But I prefer to think of myself as ‘headmaster.’ It makes me feel more… _important_.” Ms. Goodwitch cleared her throat. He motioned to Ms. Goodwitch. “And I assume you’ve already met the vice-principal, Glynda.”

Ruby nodded, and held out her hand to Mr. Ozpin. “I’m-”

“Ruby Rose.” Mr. Ozpin said, shaking her hand. “One of Taiyang Xiao Long’s daughters, if I’m not mistaken.”

Ruby blinked in confusion. “You… know my dad?”

“Of course. His other daughter, Yang- your sister- is a student of MLM, isn’t she? Captain of the boxing club, if I recall. _And_ quite the troublemaker, according to her records.”

Ruby’s confusion dissipated all at once. Oh. Well, that made sense. It made much more sense than her dad and Mr. Ozpin somehow knowing each other from somewhere else, anyway.

“Now,” Ozpin began, once again clasping his hands atop his desk. “I’m sure you have more than a few questions. Take a moment to gather your thoughts, and when you’re ready, ask any question you desire.”

When she’d been wandering that strange place, dozens of questions rolled through Ruby’s mind. But now that she’d been prompted, only one question came to her, and it fell out of her mouth almost immediately, before she’d realized what she said:

“What was that… _thing?_ ”

Ms. Goodwitch answered, “We call them ‘Shadows.’”

“They are the natural inhabitants of that world you entered,” Ozpin added. “Of Remnant.”

_Remnant_ … Ruby remembered that was what Joker had told her to dial into her scroll.

But before Ruby could think on that further, Ms. Goodwitch looked to Mr. Ozpin and said, “Mr. Ozpin, if I may, I’d like to ask Ms. Rose a few questions of my own.”

Ozpin gave a small nod. “Of course.”

Ms. Goodwitch stepped forward, standing next to Mr. Ozpin’s desk. “Ms. Rose, how did you find your way into Remnant?”

It was a simple question, and a fair one at that. But despite what she’d just seen, Ruby hesitated. Even with the mention of ‘Shadows’ and ‘another world,’ her explanation of how she arrived there was so… _outlandish_ that it was laughable. She stammered, “I-I-”

“ _This will be the day we've waited for._   
_This will be the day we open up the door._   
_I don't wanna hear your absolution;_ _  
_ Hope you're ready for a revolution…”

Ruby jolted from the sudden interruption, and it took several moments for her to realize it was merely her ringtone.

A smile appeared on Mr. Ozpin’s face, and he adjusted his glasses. “I do believe that’s for you, Ms. Rose,” he said.

Taking a moment to calm herself, Ruby pulled her scroll from her pocket and checked it. Her stomach dropped the moment she did.

It was Yang.

Ruby shivered. But every second she delayed would only make things worse.

So, she took a deep breath, opened her scroll, and asked timidly, “… _Yang?_ ”

“ ** _RUBYWHEREAREYOU!_ ** ” the scroll screeched. Ruby yanked it away from her ear- even Ms. Goodwitch and Mr. Ozpin winced, in spite of their distance from Ruby.

Ruby slowly brought the scroll to her ear, the screeching emitting from it showing no signs of stopping or decreasing in volume. “Y-Yang,” she stammered into the device. “Yang I… just calm down and listen to me!

Ms. Goodwitch extended her hand toward Ruby. “May I?”

Uncertain of how to defuse the situation, Ruby handed her scroll to the older woman. “Uh… s-sure.” Ms. Goodwitch held the device up to her ear, heedless of the racket it emitted.

“Ms. Xiao Long?” Ms. Goodwitch glared as a bunch of angry sounding growls emerged from Ruby’s scroll. “Ms. Xiao Long, I’ve never given a detention _before_ the start of the school year, but if you continue to use such language…” The scroll fell silent. “Thank you. …Yes, I am indeed with Ms. Rose. I happened to be doing some late-night grocery shopping when I found her.” Ms. Goodwitch was silent for a few moments. “I doubt that will be necessary. I’ve already given her quite the lecture on the dangers of wandering around Vale unaccompanied at night.” More silence. “Again, that won’t be necessary. I will escort Ms. Rose to the dorm myself. We will be there shortly.”

“Any further questions will have to wait, I’m afraid,” Mr. Ozpin said, as Ms. Goodwitch gave back Ruby’s scroll. “I think it would be best to not keep your sister waiting.”

“Mr. Ozpin,” Glynda began turning to Ozpin, “I still have-”

“I understand your concerns, Glynda,” Ozpin interrupted. “But please take Ms. Rose’s well-being into consideration. This ordeal must have been quite exhausting for her. I think it would be best to give her time to process everything that’s happened. You can question her once she’s fully recovered.”

For several moments, Ms. Goodwitch stared down at Mr. Ozpin in silence. But eventually, the older woman gave him a reluctant nod. “Very well. I’ll be returning Ms. Rose to the dorms. Come with me, please.” Without waiting for an answer, Ms. Goodwitch grabbed Ruby’s wrist and pulled her out of the office.

* * *

Darkness.

All she could see was darkness.

She was moving- she could tell that much- but Ruby could see nothing but an endless field of black in every direction.

But then, up ahead, she saw something in the endless void. At first, it was vague, indistinct. But as it rapidly approached, it gained a startling degree of clarity, and she saw that it was…

A blue door.

Ruby flew towards the door at blinding speed. Ruby brought up her arms protectively, expecting to crash straight into it. But suddenly, the door flew open…

…and Ruby suddenly found herself seated in front of a table made of glass. Across from her, seated in a tall metal chair was a strange man in a dark suit, with bloodshot eyes and an impossibly long nose. To the long-nosed man's left stood another person wearing a deep blue jacket, black slacks, and- strangely- an expressionless white mask. The two were turned to one another, as if in a conversation, seemingly taking no notice of Ruby.

"…Indeed," the long-nosed man said, in a hushed voice. "It's not often that we have so many visitors arrive in such a short timespan.”

"W-Who are you?" Ruby stammered.

The two figures looked to her, and regarded her in silence for a moment, before the long-nosed man gave a wide, unsettling grin. “Ah, yes. My apologies. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Igor.” The long-nosed man- _Igor_ \- rested a hand on his chest and bowed slightly to Ruby. “I am delighted to make your acquaintance.” He then motioned to the man at his side. “ _This_ is my assistant. You may call her ‘Westenra.’”

The masked man- or, _woman_ \- Westenra- said nothing.

Ruby looked around the room. "Where are we?" The room, like everything and nearly every _one_ else inside of it, was colored a deep shade of blue. But strangely, several sections of the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling had been cut away, revealing dozens of endlessly-turning gears within the walls. And behind Igor was a massive window that looked out into a thick, swirling fog.

As Igor rested his elbows on the desk and clasped his hands in front of his face, his grin somehow widened. “ _This_ is the Velvet Room. This is a place that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a place only those bound by a contract may enter.”

_Between dream and reality?_ Ruby wondered to herself. But before she could ponder the point further, the long-nosed man began to speak once more:

“You are here because a great power has begun to stir within you. At the moment, this power lies dormant, slumbering within the depths of your soul. But make no mistake- your power will soon awaken. And when it does, you will need _my_ assistance to hone it."

Ruby looked to the strange man. "Power?" she asked. "Wh-What kind of power? And what do you mean you'll help me hone it?" Ruby's mind was bursting with question after question: Did her power have something to do with Remnant and the Shadows? Did other people have the same power? Was this strange man ‘Joker?’

But before she could ask anything else, Igor simply held up his hand to silence her. “I understand that you have many questions. Unfortunately, our time is short, and soon, you shall awaken. But before you go, I want to give you _this_.” He waved his hand across the table, and a cobalt-colored key simply appeared near the edge in front of Ruby.

As she picked up the key, Igor continued: “Your awakening will be a very dangerous ordeal…” Igor's grin widened. "…but I have the utmost faith that you will survive unscathed."  He bowed again. “‘Til we meet again. And, good luck.”

And suddenly, the chair beneath Ruby vanished, and she fell into darkness.


End file.
